A Community of Neighbors

Neighborhood associations bring people together at a grassroots level for fun activities and relationship-building.

Every community, whether it has 300 residents or 130,000, is made up of neighborhoods. Neighborhood associations play an important role in strengthening the relationships of people living in a community together, and serve as unique partners to City staff.

Cedar Rapids neighborhood associations often take the lead on their own community-scaled projects — organizing social events, fundraisers, and other public improvements on a grassroots scale. Recent projects have included coffee with neighbors, back-to-school concerts, park improvements, National Night Out events, and historic neighborhood tours, just to name a few.

In addition to fostering strong ties with their neighbors, associations also bridge the gap between City staff and residents. Public engagement is extremely important to City-led initiatives, and neighborhood association leaders often provide helpful feedback to City staff as well as help share information on City programs. Neighborhood associations meet regularly and have access to a team of City staff who get to know them personally.

Many people may not realize that Cedar Rapids neighborhood associations are formalized through the City and can receive up to $10,000 in funding for neighborhood projects, with proper certification.

Want to start a Neighborhood Association? Gather your neighbors together and cast a vision. What role do you want to serve in the community? All associations start with a small group of people willing to commit to their community, and City staff is here to help.

To find information on existing neighborhood associations, visit the City’s website and click “Neighborhood Services” under the “For Residents” tab. You can also reach out to the Community Development Department by emailing CommunityDevelopment@cedar-rapids.org.